I have always been a big fan of Torchlight, but will not even look at it until I have exhausted my Diablo 3 experience, which will be a long long time. Does anyone else think that these companies are actually going to expect a lackluster sales performance due to the impact D3 will have on the gaming scene?

I do agree with you, and yes, I believe they will have a severe lack in sales because of D3. That said, all the Diablo-look-a-like games that has come out before the May 15th release of D3, have done well.. and without doing to much guessing, I believe most of 'em are doing the same as me... just playing something similar to ease the "pain" for the long and anticipated wait

Yeah, I'm really not sure why they'd like to release immediately following DIII. Not to mention, that would make it a June release and I don't know about you guys, but I'd prefer to be outside, drinking beer, and throwing horseshoes during my spare time when the weather is nice, not trying to split my available time between a couple of games I have been waiting patiently for.

POE is another that will fall into this category I think.
But Diablowizard knocked the nail on the head - all the games that have been successful have released well before May 15, just so people could have a decent ARPG to calm their appetite for 'loot' and hack'n'slashing.
I have enjoyed the POE Beta though - especially the 'no gold' mechanic, where currency is just based on trade.
Quite inventive.

the walking animations are stiff and boring, once you turn around to do stuff it feels very wrong.
all the skills use the "kinda aoe knockback->slowdown hero->"check" badass. still its overly used ALLOT.
add somthing that notices what he hits.

POE is another that will fall into this category I think.
But Diablowizard knocked the nail on the head - all the games that have been successful have released well before May 15, just so people could have a decent ARPG to calm their appetite for 'loot' and hack'n'slashing.
I have enjoyed the POE Beta though - especially the 'no gold' mechanic, where currency is just based on trade.
Quite inventive.

Not just that but they have the best potion system ever. Better than having to pick up all those pots in D3. The only thing I could see, and hope, that D3 could implement with a patch, is how PoE hardcore characters don't necessarily perma-die, they just get perma-banned from hardcore. So you don't feel like all your time was wasted, and your death is taken out of the hardcore economy.